NEWTOWNABBEY BOROUGH COUNCIL Environmental Services Department
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
NEWTOWNABBEY BOROUGH COUNCIL Environmental Services Department LOCAL AIR QUALITY PROGRESS REPORT AUGUST 2007 Copies of this report are available from: Environmental Services Newtownabbey Borough Council Mossley Mill NEWTOWNABBEY BT36 5QA Tel: 028 9034 0160 Copies are also available electronically by emailing [email protected], [email protected] or [email protected], or on the Council website, www.newtownabbey.gov.uk. 2 C O N T E N T S Page No. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 4 1 INTRODUCTION 5 2 NEW MONITORING RESULTS 6 2.1 Nitrogen Dioxide 6 2.2 Sulphur Dioxide and PM10 (Particulate Matter) 16 3 NEW LOCAL DEVELOPMENTS 18 3.1 Part A, B and C Processes 18 3.2 New Retail Developments 18 3.3 New Road Schemes 18 3.4 New Landfill Developments 18 3.5 Residential Developments 19 4 CONCLUSIONS 20 4.1 Nitrogen Dioxide 20 4.2 Sulphur Dioxide and Particulate Matter (PM10) 21 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors of this report would like to acknowledge the support and assistance of the following people and groups in the completion of this progress report: Planning and Environmental Policy Group Air Quality Review and Assessment Helpdesk Sean Christiansen, AEAT/Netcen Perry Donaldson, Northern Group Systems Report prepared and written by:- Wendy Brolly Vanessa Hodgen Principal Environmental Health Officers Environmental Health Department Newtownabbey Borough Council Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland Publishing Permit. OSNI Licence No. 1281 All geographical data within this report is based upon the 2005 Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland 1:1250 map with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, © Crown Copyright. 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Local authorities in Northern Ireland have air quality management duties which are specified in Part III of The Environment (Northern Ireland) Order 2002. The aim of these duties is to deliver the national objectives as set out in the Air Quality Strategy for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. 1.2 In August 2006 Newtownabbey Borough Council published its Updating and Screening Assessment of Local Air Quality. 1.3 Local authorities in Northern Ireland are now required to prepare a Progress Report as specified in Environment (Northern Ireland) Order 2002 Local Air Quality Management Progress Report Guidance LAQM.PRGNI (04). Some of the aims of the Progress Report are to provide a means of communicating air quality information to elected members and the public and providing information to assist in other policy areas such as transport and land planning. The overall aim of the report is to: Report progress on implementing local air quality management; and Report progress in achieving or maintaining concentrations below the air quality objectives. 1.4 In order to achieve this Newtownabbey Borough Council’s progress report will focus on: New monitoring results (since those reported in Updating and Screening Assessment, August 2006) New local developments likely to affect air quality 5 2 NEW MONITORING RESULTS 2.1 Nitrogen Dioxide 2.1.1 Automatic Monitoring Results From April 2003 the automatic monitoring of NO2 has been undertaken at two roadside locations in the Borough using chemiluminescent analysers. The analysers are sited at: Location Grid Reference Sandyknowes, Mallusk 305 830 Shore Road 347 805 The mean nitrogen dioxide concentrations obtained from ratified data for 2006 are shown below: Location Annual Max Daily Maximum Hourly Mean Mean Hourly Mean µgm-3 µgm-3 µgm-3 Sandyknowes 32 84 199 Shore Road 29 81 172 The mean nitrogen dioxide concentrations for the period 1 January, 2006 to 31 December, 2006 at both the Sandyknowes and the Shore Road site are below the Annual Mean Air Quality Objective of 40 µgm-3. QA/QC The automatic monitoring stations are covered by a QA/QC contract with Netcen. The Data Quality Report by Netcen for 2006 is shown in Appendix 1. 6 2.1.2 Passive Monitoring Passive diffusion tubes are used to measure nitrogen dioxide at a number of roadside locations throughout the Borough. The tubes remain at the location for a four week exposure period and are then sent to Lambeth Scientific Services Limited, London for analysis and to calculate the average NO2 concentration at each location. Since June 2003 tubes were placed in triplicate at the two automatic monitoring sites. Results Diffusion tube results for 2006 are listed below (where tube missing/zero result recorded, average taken for number of tubes present). Site Location No. of Tubes Averaged Average Ref. 1 Main Street, Ballyclare 12 33 5 McMillan House, Antrim Road 12 20 8 Braden Heights 12 13 11 44 Sandyknowes Avenue 12 28 12 12 Sandyholme Way 12 40 16 Doagh Village 12 19 18 Main Street, Ballynure 12 15 20 A8 Motorway at Sandyknowes 12 29 21 Ballyclare Road/Manse Road 11 14 27 1A Jordanstown Road 12 22 31 Bernice Road/Mallusk Road 12 16 36 NOx Analyser, Sandyknowes 12 29 37 NOx Analyser, Sandyknowes 12 29 38 NOx Analyser, Sandyknowes 12 22 39 NOx Analyser, Shore Road 12 19 40 NOx Analyser, Shore Road 12 18 41 NOx Analyser, Shore Road 12 23 42 Langley Hall, Shore Road 12 22 43 Antrim Road, Elmfield 12 39 44 Abbots Cross 12 15 45 B & Q 12 23 46 Collinbridge Road 12 27 7 The live sites with the highest average nitrogen dioxide concentrations are: Site Location Result Ref. 1 Main Street, Ballyclare 33 11 44 Sandyknowes Avenue 28 12 7 Sandyholme Way 40 43 Antrim Road, Elmfield 39 The graph below shows the monthly results for each of these 4 sites. Site Comparisons 60 50 Site 1- Main St Ballyclare 40 Site 11 - 44 Sandyknowes Ave 30 Site 12 - 12 20 Sandyholme Way Site 43 - Antrim Rd, 10 Elmfield 0 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 06 06 0 0 06 0 0 0 0 06 0 - - - - - - - r-0 t r y- c- a a e Jul Jan Ap Jun Oc M Nov Feb- M Aug Sep- D Bias Adjustment Factor Triplicate diffusion tubes have been collocated at both the Newtownabbey chemiluminescent NOX monitors since June 2003. Bias adjustment factors for both sites for 2006 were calculated (shown in Appendix 2). A bias adjustment factor of 1:34 based on 8 collocation studies (Belfast City Council, Spelthorne Borough Council, Reigate and Banstead Borough Council x 3, City of York Council x 2, East Hertfordshire District Council) was also obtained from Air Quality Consultants Limited. 8 The various bias adjustment factors have been applied to the annual mean nitrogen dioxide concentrations at sites 1, 11, 12 and 43. Site Location Annual Bias Bias Bias Ref. Average Adjustment Adjustment Adjustment Factor Factor Factor (Sandyknowes) (Shore (Air Quality 1.2 Road) Consultants 1.45 Ltd) 1.34 1 Main St, 33 40 48 44 Ballyclare 11 44 Sandyknowes 28 34 41 38 Avenue 12 7 Sandyholme 40 48 58 54 Way 43 Antrim Rd, 39 47 57 52 Elmfield The diffusion tube results for these sites for 2004-2006 are shown below (not bias adjusted). The number of tubes averaged at each location is shown in brackets. Site Location 2004 2005 2006 Ref. 1 Main Street, Ballyclare 27 (11) 26 (12) 33 (12) 11 44 Sandyknowes Avenue 24 (10) 31 (8) 28 (12) 12 7 Sandyholme Way 31 (8) 33 (12) 40 (12) 43 Antrim Road, Elmfield 30 (6) 31 (12) 39 (12) The diffusion tube results for 2007 to date are shown below: Site Location January February March Average Ref. 1 Main Street, Ballyclare 34 33 30 32 11 44 Sandyknowes Avenue 23 42 37 34 12 7 Sandyholme Way 36 31 29 32 43 Antrim Road, Elmfield 49 45 28 41 The diffusion tubes at each of the above sites are either on or adjacent to the facades of domestic properties, ie relevant locations. 9 a) 7 Sandyholme Way and 44 Sandyknowes Avenue The properties at 7 Sandyholme Way and 44 Sandyknowes Avenue are adjacent to the southbound on-slip of the M2 motorway (map and photo below). This area is subject to severe rush-hour congestion and works have commenced on widening the southbound portion of the M2 between Sandyknowes and Greencastle from 2 to 3 lanes. For the last 2-3 years attempts have been made to relocate the existing Sandyknowes analyser adjacent to either the on-slip or in the garden of 7 Sandyholme Way, however to date this has been unsuccessful. The diffusion tubes at both locations are on the façade of the properties. 7 Sandyholme Way 10 11 Since January 2007 a diffusion tube has also been located at 13 Sandyholme Park and 6 Sandyknowes Gardens (shown on map above). Since March 2007 a further diffusion tube has been located at 5 Sandyholme Park (shown on map above). The monthly results for these sites for 2007 are shown below: Site Location Results 2007 Ref. January February March 47 13 Sandyholme Park 40 44 42 49 6 Sandyknowes Gardens 27 20 25 56 5 Sandyholme Park - - 23 b) Antrim Road, Elmfield The property at Antrim Road, Elmfield is adjacent to a busy junction of the main road leading from Glengormley to Belfast City Centre (map and photo below). The diffusion tube is attached to the lamppost outside the front of the property. The diffusion tube is 3.1 m from the façade of the property. 12 13 c) Main Street, Ballyclare The property at Main Street, Ballyclare is adjacent to the main road leading in and out of Ballyclare. This street is sided on both sides by commercial and domestic properties giving a canyon effect. It is a typical rural town which has seen rapid growth in recent years resulting in traffic congestion (map and photo below).